No Subject

[csccat!larry@texbell.swbt.com (Larry Spence)]

Note: This is my first posting to Love-Hounds. 

Steve Tynor writes:
> >I think its important to be critical when listening to Kate....
[drivel about radio and hair...]
> >.......If the quality isn't there (and
> >I agree that TSW is substandard (I'll ditto most of the points made in this
> >article), we should feel free to talk about it and not be afraid to be burned
> >to the crisp in a flame war.

...and Jon D. and others have made similar comments.

Mr. Marvick replies:

>     In regard to this idiotic trend among you and your ilk to criticize
>a work of art like _The_Sensual_World_ via factually vapid, musically
>ignorant and fundamentally boorish insults of both the music and those
>who are capable of appreciating it: go right ahead. You convince no one
>but yourselves. 

A little defensive, aren't we, Mr. Marvick?  Does ANY criticism equal 
"insults?" Why are you so opposed to any open criticism of TSW?  Why?? 
If you are a "true scholar" of Kate Bush, don't you realize that such
scholarship entails COMPARISON of her various works?  I feel that I have
learned a lot of interesting Kate info from this newsgroup in the last
year or so.  However, I have been denied the opportunity to read much in 
the way of serious critiquing of Kate, because YOU FLAME EVERYONE WHO
DISAGREES WITH YOU!!  Isn't a "moderator" supposed to balance opposing
views and opinions?  You most certainly do not.  I support your right to
think that everything Kate does is "perfect."  I'm not telling you to
please go away, etc., etc.  But get the f***ing chip off your shoulder,
pleeeeeease! 

>IED for one sees no hope of elucidating you and your
>fellow fickle cynics about the myriad facets of _TSW_'s perfection.
>If your ears can't perceive them, IED's words will go unheard, as well.

I, for one, really dislike being condescended to like this!  The message that
I get from this is "either it's OBVIOUS to you how perfect TSW is, or else
you're  so artistically insensitive that it's not worth my time to try to
explain it to you."  These are the words of a very insecure person.

>So go right ahead--continue to embarrass yourselves with your absurd
>checklists of alleged "flaws" in _TSW_: you're just whistling away
>in the dark void of your own ignorance.

So you don't really want to respond to the criticism of TSW -- just recite
the usual incantations about how ignorant and cynical "we" are?  If it's
so obvious how perfect TSW is, why can't you easily toss out replies to
these criticisms?  I don't mean the standard Well You Just Know Or You
Don't evasions, either.

A lot of the new Kate interviews seem to expose the fact that the process
of Kate making an album is full of false starts, creative voids, and uncer-
tainties (like anyone else's!).  For example, Kate has said that she 
isn't quite sure what she was trying to say with "Love and Anger."  So
TSW isn't the perfectly-crafted jewel you would have us believe it is.
It's OK that the album isn't perfect -- none are.  The problem for me is
that you insist on extolling its perfection, when I suspect that Kate
would be embarassed by anyone's claims to that effect.  Kate says that
"Walk Straight Down The Middle" wasn't worked on as much as the other 
tracks;  this implies that she may think that it's not as polished or
fully realized as the other tracks.  But NO -- they're all perfect, right?
Andrew, what are you going to do if it turns out that there was a mix of
WSDTM that Kate liked BETTER that was accidentally erased?  Are you going
to say that you Know better than Kate which is "perfect?"

At least I am willing to listen to thoughtful discussion of why I might
be wrong about TSW.  You, Mr. Marvick, do not seem to be similarly open-
minded.  Kate, Kate, Kate, Kate, nothing but Kate, and it's all perfect.
Sure, it sounds cute as a joke, but it's getting really old.  I think
that if Kate read most of the schoolboy-with-a-crush drivel that you've
posted lately, she'd be very worried that her music helped someone get
so far out of touch with reality!  Kate appears to try to strike some
kind of balance between her musical life and the rest of her existence,
might you not try to do the same?

Realistically, I can't even expect to get you to switch hands, "IED."  I
just wanted to add my voice to the others that persist in bringing up the
less-than-perfection of TSW.  I don't plan on posting again unless it
appears that dissenting opinions will be considered, rather than simply
dismissed.  

Larry Spence
larry@csccat
...{texbell,texsun,attctc}!csccat!larry